Sewing-machine thread controller



arch H (1924 E. N. SIMMONS SEWING MACHINE THREAD CONTROLLER Filed May 5,1923 msww Eda/0775 v Patented Mar. 11, 1924.

EDWARD NISIMMQNS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SEV ING MACHINE THREAD CONTROLLER.

Application filed May 5, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD N. SIMMONS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in aSewingMachine Thread Controller; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of referencemarked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved sewing machine spool holderadapted to be removably engaged on the spool spindle of a sewing machinehead and having adjustable spring controlled bearing members for a spoolof thread adapted to control the rotation of the spool and therebycontrol the feed of the thread into the machine, obviating slack, andholding the spool against rotation in a reverse direction should thethread be suddenly tensioned and then released.

It is an object of this invention 'to pro vide a sewing machine threadcontroller adapted when used on a sewing machine to properly tensionthread fed into the machine and preventing any tendency of the threadfrom becoming slack.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a thread controller fora sewing machine, said controller having spring controlled rotatablebearing members for a spool of thread adapted to obviate slack in thethread by holding the thread properly tensi'oned at all times.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a threadcontroller for a sewing machine, said controller being of simple andeffective construction and adapted to be readily mounted in place on thespool spindle of a sewing machine and adapted to carry one of aplurality of spools of thread in a horizontal position between resilientbearings so that slack will be eliminated and the thread always properlytensioned.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparentfrom the serial No. 636,833.

disclosures in the specification and accompanying drawings.

This invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

011 the drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation of a sewing machine head having a threadcontroller embodying the principles of this invention mounted on thespool spindle.

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of a thread controller of thisinvention without a spool of thread.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal section taken on line 33 of Figure 2, showina spool of thread in position.

Figure 4 is a vertical elevation of a moditied form of holder adapted tocarry four spools of thread at different elevations and in the samevertical plane.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 indicates a sewing machine frame or headprovided with a spool spindle or post 2. The sewing machine may be ofany desired type either manually operated or machine operated.

As illustrated in detail in Figures 2 and 3, the sewing machine threadcontroller comprises a rectangular sleeve or collar 3 having alongitudinal passage through which the spool spindle 2 is adapted toproject. A. set screw 4 is provided on the sleeve 3 to hold the sleevein a set position against rotation on the spool spindle. Threaded intoone side of the square sleeve 3 is a horizontal shaft or rod comprisinga middle section 5, an inner end section 6 of less diameter than saidmiddle section, and an outer end section 7 longer than the inner endsection and of less diameter than either the middle section or the innerend section. The end of the inner end section 6 is of reduced diameterand threaded at 8 so that the shaft may be threaded into an opening inthe squared sleeve 3. Slidably and rotatably mounted on the inner endshaft section 6 is a disk 9 having a beveled bearing hub 10 integrallyformed on one side thereof. A coiled spring 11 is engaged around theshaft end section 6 between the sleeve 3 and the disk 9 to resilientlyhold the beveled bearing 10 against one end of the middle shaft section5.

Slidably engaged on the outer end shaft section 7 is a collar 12,adapted to be held in a set position by means of a set screw 13. Theinner end of the collar 12 is reduced in diameter to form a neck 14, theend of which is provided with a flange 15. R0- tatable on the neck 14 isa disk 16 having integrally formed on the inner side thereof a beveledbearing hub 17.

As illustrated in Figure 0, a spool of thread 18 is mounted on the shaftand is supported by the beveled bearings 10 and 17 of the rotatabledisks 9 and 16 respectively.

By simply loosening the set screw 13 the collar 12 together with thedisk 16 and bearing 17, is adapted to be removed from the shaft section7 to permit a spool of thread 18 to be placed upon the shaft and againstthe bearing 10 which is beveled to project into one end of said spool.The collar 12 is now put back upon the shaft section 7 with the beveledbearing 17 pro jecting into the outer end of the spool 18. The collar 12is pushed inwardly far enough to slide the bearing 10 and the disk 9away from the end of the middle shaft section 5, thereby compressing thecoiled spring 11 and resiliently holdingthe spool 18 between therotatable beveled bearings 10 and 17.

The slidable collar 12 is adapted to permit spools of different sizes tobe conveniently carried by the thread controller. As illustrated inFigure 3 the beveled bearings frictionally engage in the ends of thespool, thereby holding the spool against rotating idly on the middleshaft section 5. lVith a thread controller mounted in place asillustrated in Figures 1 and 3, the thread .from the spool 18 isconducted into the sewing machine in the ordinary manner or throughsuitable guides mounted on the machine head, or, if preferred, on theupper end of the sleeve 3. The unwinding of the thread from the spool 18is resisted by the action of the coiled control spring 11 whichresiliently holds the bearing 10 in engagement with the inner end of thespool- The resistance may be varied by adjusting the collar 12 on theshaft section 7 thereby either compressing or releasing the spring 11.The thread conducted into the machine from the spool 18 is thus alwaysproperly tensioned and back lash or a reverse rotation of the spool isdone away with. Since the thread is always properly tensioned. there isno slack in the thread as it is conducted into the machine.

Figure 4 illustrates a modified form of a thread controller wherein theconstruction of the individual spool holders is the same as thatillustrated in Figure 3. In this arrangement a longer sleeve 19 isprovided and two pair of aligned, oppositely directed spool holders aremounted on the sleeve 19 and are disposed in the same vertical plane.

lVhile two preferred arrangements of spool holders are illustrated anddescribed, it will, however, be understood that any other desiredarrangement of the spool holder on a supporting sleeve may be used.

I am aware that numerous details of construction may be varied through awide range withoutdeparting from the principles of this invention, and Itherefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise thannecessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention: 7

1. A sewing machine thread contr ller comprising a sleeve, a set screwfor holding the same in position on a sewing machine spool spindle, ashaft secured to said sleeve, a bearing member rotatable and slidable onsaid shaft, a spring on said shaft governing said bearing member, acollar adjustable on said shaft, a set screw for holding said collar ina set position, and a second bearing member rotatably engaged onsaid'collar and adjustable therewith.

2. A sewing machine thread controller comprising a sleeve, means forholding the same in a set position on a sewing machine spool spindle, ashaft having one end threaded radially into the sleeve, said shaft beingof greater diameter at its center section than at its end sections, abeveled hearing member rotatably and slidably mounted on the supportedend of said shaft, a spring on said shaft between said sleeve and saidbearing member adapted to resiliently hold the bearing member in contactwith the enlarged center section of the shaft, a collar on the outerreduced end of the shaft, means fon holding the collar in a setposition, a neck formed on said collar, a flange on the outer end of theneck, and a beveled bearing member rotatably engaged on said neckbetween the flange and said collar.

3. A sewing machine thread controller comprising a support adapted to beengaged on the spool spindle of a sewing machine, a shaft supported onsaid support, a plurality of spool supporting bearing members rotatablyand slidably supported on said shaft, and means on said shaft forresiliently holding one of said bearing members pro jected toward theother.

4. A sewing machine thread controller comprising a support, av shaftsupported thereon, a spring controlled bearing member slidably androtatably engaged on one end ofsaid'shaft, and a second rotatablebearing member adjustably mounted on the other end of the shaft.

5. A sewing machine thread controller comprising a sleeve adapted to besecured to a spool spindle of a sewing machine, a shaft supported onsaid sleeve,-a plurality of rotatable beveled bearing memberslongitudinally movable on said shaft to support "a spool of threadtherebetween, and means for holding one of said bearing members in a setposition of adjustment.

6. A sewing machine thread controller comprising a shaft, means forsupporting the same on the spool spindle of a sewing machine, a collaradapted to be removably secured on one end of said shaft, a bearingmember rotatably engaged on said collar, and a spring controlled bearingmember slidably and rotatably engaged on the other end of said shaft.

7. A spool support comprising a shaft, a spring controlled bearingrotatably and slidably engaged on one end of said shaft,

adapted to engage in one end of a spool,

a collar adjustably supported on the other end of the shaft, and asecond bearing member rotatable on said collar adapted to engage in andsupport the other end of said spool.

8. A spool support comprising a' shaft consisting of a middle section,an inner end section of reduced diameter having the end thereofthreaded, and an outer end section of less diameter and longer than theinner end section, a sleeve for receiving the threaded end of the innerend section to support the shaft, a flanged beveled bearing member onthe inner end shaft section, a spring for holding the same against themiddle shaft section, a collar slidable on the outer end shaft section,said collar having a flanged neck integrally formed on the inner endthereof, means for holding the collar in a set position on the outer endshaft section, and a flanged beveled bearing member rotatably engaged onsaid flanged neck.

9. The combination with the spool spindle of a sewing machine, of asleeve adapted to be engaged thereon, means for holding the sleeve in aset position on the spool spindle, and a plurality of oppositelydirected aligned spool control holders supported on said sleeve.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

ED'WAR-D N. SIMMONS.

Witnesses FRED E. PAEsLER, OSCAR HARTMANN.

